


Doctor's Orders?

by Artemis12



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 10:55:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7888492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis12/pseuds/Artemis12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone is sick and very bored, but the doctor gave her orders.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Doctor's Orders?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [opensummer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/opensummer/gifts).



“Alright, Runner Eight, you lost those last couple of zombs a little while back. There is nothing following you right now.”

Sam Yao was guiding one of Abel Township’s best runners on a routine supply gathering mission. For once everything was going as it should. Yes, there were some zombies that had decided to chase Eight, but that was to be expected. It was after all the zombie apocalypse.

“The scanner’s showing there’s a small pack of zombies towards the South. Head a bit more North towards the big billboard and AHH!”

“Sam! Sam, what is it?” Runner Eight yelled into her microphone, stopping in the middle of the path.

“Five, you nearly scared me to death. Don’t sneak up on me like that. Yes, I know it’s a little hard for you to announce your presence, with the not being able to speak and all. But couldn’t you, I don’t know, tap your foot or bang the door or something to tell me that you’re here before I have a heart attack.” Sara resumed her running satisfied that nothing was too terribly wrong back at Abel.

“Five, you have got to be the only person I have ever known to be able to sneak through a door with rusty hinges without it squeaking. You’re giving Eight a run for her money when it comes to sneakiness.” Sara couldn’t help but give a small laugh.

“Ah, come on, Sam, you mean that I don’t get to keep my title of the most mysterious?” She teased. Sara could almost see the grin that was forming on Five’s face.

“Mysterious, most definitely you, Sara. But Five here is getting sneakier by the day. I think they’re hanging out with you a bit too much for their own good. What do you two do anyway?”

“Oh, nothing much, just a bit of spy training and some zombie killing practice. You’ve got to keep in practice when it comes to killing zombies. Hang on, isn’t Five supposed to be in the hospital right now?” Sara said.

“Hey, yeah. Five, what are you doing here? Dr. Myers said that you were confined to the hospital till she pronounced you well enough. You know what will happen if she catches you in here.”  Five had a look on their face that could rival Sam’s each time he reached the end of a jar of Marmite.

“I’m sorry, Five, but you know Doctor’s Orders.”

“Come on, Sam. Give Five some slack. You don’t know what it’s like being cooped up in the hospital instead of out running for the township.”

 “I know exactly what it’s like being stuck in the hospital instead of being allowed to do your job. Remember two weeks ago when I had that cold. Maxine wouldn’t let me do my job for five whole days. I couldn’t even spend the night in our room.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t, Sam. Do you want to get Five and me sick with you?” Sara laughed.

“It would have made the time go by a little faster if I had company,” Sam said looking crestfallen.

“Exactly, let Five stay in the comm shack with you.”

“Maxine said that Five was to stay bundled up because of the chills.”

“Then give Five your jumper and one of those blankets that you always keep in the corner.”

Sam was just about to argue with Sara again when he turned his chair to look at Five. That was the worst thing he could have done for his resolve. Five had a look of such hope that he couldn’t resist.

“Alright, Five. Pull up that chair over there and I’ll get you a blanket. And here’s my jumper. I know orange isn’t quite your color, but it is mine.” Five’s face burst into a huge grin and they kept signing _Thank You_ over and over. “Easy, Five. Don’t get so excited or you’ll have to go back to the hospital for exhaustion.”

It was an easy run for Runner Eight, although everyone knew better than to say so. Five was quietly resting and almost dozed off to the banter between Eight and Sam when the door to the comm shack swung open.

“There you are, Five. What did I say about you leaving the hospital?” Dr. Myers was not pleased.

“Uh oh, looks like you’re busted, Five,” Sara laughed.

“Five, you know better than to leave the hospital when you’re sick like this … I can’t understand you when you’re signing that fast.” Five gave a small sigh and signed again, this time slower. “I understand that you’re wearing a jacket and a blanket, but you’re sick and you need to rest … in the hospital.”

 “Come on, Doc. It’s boring for a runner to be in the hospital all by themselves,” Sam interjected on Five’s behalf. “Let them stay here. They were about to fall asleep before you barged in.”

“Sorry, Sam. Five needs to head back to the hospital now.”

“Dr. Myers, what about Demons and Darkness tonight?” Sara asked.

“Five will not be leaving the hospital to play tonight.” Both Five and Sam’s faces fell at that.

“What if we were to move the game to the hospital?” Sara suggested.

“Simply playing the game would be too much for Five.” Dr. Myers knew exactly where this line of questioning was headed.

“Then what if Five just watched the rest of us play the game?”

“There’s the possibility of Five being contagious.”

“Isn’t there any way for Five to be in the hospital and not be alone?” Sara asked.

 “Not if we want to keep all of our runners well. It’s dangerous enough as it is with Five staying in here with Sam,” Maxine said.

“There’s nothing we can say to convince you is there?” Sara asked.  

Dr. Myers reached down and gently grabbed Five’s arm to hoist them onto their feet. “No, there isn’t. I am the doctor here at Abel and what I say goes, Sara. I know how much you all enjoy Demons and Darkness. I, myself, love the game, but I will not jeopardize one of my patients just for a game. Come on, Five, let’s get you back to the hospital.”

Five made to pull the hoodie off, but Sam stopped them mid try.

 “Keep it. It will keep you warmer, and I think you got some of your snot on it. I know we’re close, Five, but I think I’d rather not get that on me.” Five gave Sam a smile and a small shake of their head before turning back towards Dr. Myers.

The good doctor helped Five out of the comm shack, bearing most of their weight. She wished that there was a way to give Five some more company and to keep them a little less bored, but nothing came to mind.

“Shh, quietly. Don’t want Dr. Myers to hear.”

“Relax, Jody, the doc is at the mess hall getting some food.”

“Well, yeah, but she may come back at any time. What’ll we do then?”

 “By the time she comes back we’ll have everything set up and we won’t be taking any of it back.”

“I don’t know about this, Eight. I’m not really the spy type.”

Five cracked their eyes open to see Sara, Simon, Jody, and Sam making their way through the hospital. Sara and Simon were carrying the collapsible table from the rec hall and Jody was carrying the Demons and Darkness board while Sam was carrying the figurines. Carefully Five sat up and just watched the procession as they proceeded to set up for Demons and Darkness night … in the hospital. It was Sara who noticed Five was awake first.

“Hey there, Five. We thought that we’d come keep you company seeing as how the doc isn’t willing to let you join us. I know she said we’re not supposed to play in here either, but now that we’re set up I’d like to see her try and get us out.”

_Doctor’s orders_ , Five signed. Sara laughed at that.

“Since when have I ever been good at following orders?”

“I can attest to that,” Sam inputted.

“You won’t be able to play, Five, but we can keep you updated on what’s going on.”

Five smiled at their friends. It was nice to have people look out for and care for you in the apocalypse like that.

“What is going on here?” The game had been going on for about five minutes when Dr. Myers returned. The little group had almost forgotten that she would be coming back. She looked the very picture of a warrior. Her crossed arms and the fire in her narrowed eyes would strike fear into even the deadest of zombies. 

“Maxine, you’re back. I mean of course your back. This is your hospital … but we weren’t expecting you back … I mean not back so soon,” Sam spluttered.

“I gathered as much, Sam. Now why are you all here? I do believe that I left you and Eight right after I got finished telling the both of you that this isn’t going to happen.” Dr. Myers was pretty furious.

“Come on, Doc. It’s bad for a runner to be stuck in the hospital alone. It’s bad for morale. Let Five have a little fun,” Simon said draping his arm across the doctor’s shoulders.

Maxine removed the arm before saying, “Having all of the best runners in Abel in the hospital sick because they couldn’t follow a few rules for a couple of days is not my idea of fun.”

“Maxine, please let us do this,” Sam pleaded. “Look, Five isn’t even playing. They’re staying there in the cot just like you wanted and we’re playing over here.”

“We’ll only ask Five’s opinion as few times as possible,” Jody added.

Dr. Myers was deep in thought for several seconds. Only Sara didn’t seem worried that she would throw them all out of the make-shift hospital.

“Alright, but Five has to stay in the cot and you all have to stay on this side of the hospital. If any of you gets sick it is not my fault, and I will tell Janine that.”

“Then pull up a chair, Doc. We’ve got to have our favorite Paladin if we’re going to have a good game tonight,” Simon said getting the doctor a seat.

“I don’t know. I have a lot of work to do tonight. “

“Maxine,” Sara started. “You have been working for far too long already. You of all people should know that even the greatest of doctors needs some time to rest and relax. Besides, Sam is the game master tonight and he’s promised us an interesting plot twist.”

Doctor Myers was seriously tempted to say yes, but there was still the part of her that wanted to keep working, that wanted to find a cure for the zombie virus. However, she made the mistake of looking over at Five. Most people outside of the township, and a few inside, always thought that Five was some serious, stoic runner who didn’t have any emotions and might as well have been a robot. Those that knew Five, though, knew that they could be quite expressive and could put more emotion into one look than was ever thought possible.

The amount of pleading that Maxine saw on Five’s face was her undoing. They convinced her to stay for a round of Demons and Darkness far easier than even Sam’s puppy eyes could.

“Alright, but just one game.”

It was a miracle that Janine didn’t come running into the hospital to find out what was wrong with all the shouting the gathered players made at that.

“Come on, Simon. It’s your turn,” Jody urged. Simon had been sitting there for quite some time trying to make up his mind what his character should do.

“I just don’t know, Clover. Hey, Five, what do you think I should do?” Simon looked back over his shoulder to see Five’s answer and instead found them fast asleep.

“Let’s keep it down. Five needs their rest,” Sara said.

“Yeah, it’s nice to see them sleeping peacefully for once,” Sam agreed.

“For once? What do you mean? Has Five been having trouble sleeping? They haven’t told me anything about it.” Doctor Myers was back on full doctor mode once again.

“No, no, It’s just that … well Five does get restless at night a lot, but it’s nothing that they haven’t done before. I mean that Five does so much for this township and goes up against so much danger that it’s nice to see them peaceful like that,” Sam said. There were murmurs of agreement all around the game table.

“We should do something to show Five just how much we appreciate them,” Jody said.

“That’s a great idea. Are there any suggestions?” Simon asked.

“I’ve got a box of Curly Wurlys that I can give Five,” Sam said.

“Isn’t that the box that you asked Five to get for you?”

 “Yeah.”

“I can knit Five a scarf. That Mullins uniform jacket that they’ve got does a good job of keeping their arms warm but does nothing about keeping their neck or face warm,” Jody suggested.

“I found a nice store on my run yesterday that had a pretty nice looking axe in it. I’m sure that I can find it again for Five,” Sara said.

The conversation lasted for several more minutes before everyone thought of suitable gift for Five, Abel’s best runner. It was agreed upon that all of the gifts would be given to them as soon as Dr. Myers released them from the hospital.

Five was extraordinarily grateful when they received the gifts, especially the Curly Wurlys from Sam and the axe from Sara.


End file.
